-
.
JANUARY 2024
In deciding where to rank fighters, actual results are most important, not how I personally feel about the fighters or who I think would win hypothetical matchups. I examine head-to-head bouts first, then primarily results over the last three years, giving more credence to recent ones. The level of competition is always considered, activity is important and MMA math only plays a small part in the process. I make my votes public in the spirit of openness and transparency.
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
|
dB rankings 1. Islam Makhachev (C) 2. Alexander Volkanovski (C) 3. Leon Edwards (C) +1 4. Jon Jones (C) -1 5. Alex Pereira (C) +9 6. Alexandre Pantoja (C) 7. Charles Oliveira -2 8. Sean O’Malley (C) -1 9. Tom Aspinall (IC) * 10. Dricus Du Plessis (C) * 11. Sean Strickland -3 12. Israel Adesanya -1 13. Jamahal Hill -2 14. Kamaru Usman -4 15. Aljamain Sterling |
UFC rankings 1. Islam Makhachev (C) +1 2. Jon Jones (C) -1 3. Alexander Volkanovski (C) 4. Leon Edwards (C) 5. Alex Pereira (C) +5 6. Charles Oliveira -1 7. Sean O’Malley (C) -1 8. Dricus Du Plessis (C) * 9. Alexandre Pantoja (C) 10. Israel Adesanya -2 11. Sean Strickland -4 12. Aljamain Sterling -1 13. Tom Aspinall (IC) * 14. Max Holloway -1 15. Kamaru Usman -3 |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: Sergei Pavlovich, Jiri Prochazka
Out of UFC rankings: Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka
X: Doing pound-for-pound rankings is a little like debating who would win a fight between The Hulk and The Thing (get over it, you’re both right). It’s hard to pick wrong when choosing the top 15 fighters overall in the UFC.
Differences: Since my rankings and those of the UFC are fairly similar, I won’t waste any more time here.
FLYWEIGHT
|
dB rankings C: Alexandre Pantoja 1. Brandon Moreno 2. Brandon Royval +1 3. Amir Albazi +1 4. Kai Kara France +1 5. Matheus Nicolau +1 6. Manel Kape +1 7. Alex Perez +1 8. Muhammad Mokaev +1 9. Tim Elliott +1 10. Tagir Ulanbekov +4 11. Steve Erceg +1 12. Matt Schnell -1 13. Tatsuro Taira * 14. Cody Durden -1 15. Joshua Van * |
UFC rankings C: Alexandre Pantoja 1. Brandon Moreno 2. Amir Albazi +1 3. Brandon Royval +1 4. Kai Kara France +1 5. Matheus Nicolau +1 6. Manel Kape +2 7. Alex Perez 8. Muhammad Mokaev +2 9. Matt Schnell 10. Tim Elliott +1 11. Tagir Ulanbekov +2 12. Steve Erceg +2 13. Sumudaerji -1 14. David Dvorak +1 15. Tatsuro Taira * |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: Deiveson Figueiredo (moved to BW), David Dvorak
Out of UFC rankings: Deiveson Figueiredo (moved to BW)
X: Pantoja didn’t look like a star despite knocking off Royval last month, and Kape blew a potential shot at the champ by missing weight against Nicolau. That means if Moreno beats Royval next month, after Albazi dropped out due to injury, we could be looking at yet another rematch for the belt at 125 pounds. With Figueiredo at 135 pounds and not looking back, this is a great time for fighters like Mokaev and Taira to make a run to the top. Unfortunately, with most top fighters only walking into the Octagon once or twice a year nowadays, it can be a challenge to quickly build momentum. Perez and Schnell are two of 16 ranked UFC fighters who did not compete at all in 2023 due to injuries or other reasons.
Differences: Sumudaerji has not won a fight in three years and should not be ranked, while Durden is 4-1 in the same time that Dvorak is 0-3. Meanwhile, Taira and Van are exciting and look like the future of the flyweight division.
BANTAMWEIGHT
|
dB rankings C: Sean O’Malley 1. Merab Dvalishvili +1 2. Aljamain Sterling -1 3. Henry Cejudo 4. Petr Yan 5. Cory Sandhagen 6. Song Yadong +2 7. Marlon Vera -1 8. Deiveson Figueiredo * 9. Rob Font -2 10. Dominick Cruz 11. Jonathan Martinez 12. Umar Nurmagomedov +1 13. Pedro Munhoz 14. Mario Bautista * 15. Chris Gutierrez -3 |
UFC rankings C: Sean O’Malley 1. Aljamain Sterling 2. Merab Dvalishvili 3. Henry Cejudo 4. Cory Sandhagen 5. Petr Yan 6. Marlon Vera 7. Song Yadong 8. Deiveson Figueiredo * 9. Rob Font -1 10. Dominick Cruz -1 11. Pedro Munhoz -1 12. Jonathan Martinez -1 13. Umar Nurmagomedov -1 14. Mario Bautista * 15. Ricky Simon -2 |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: Said Nurmagomedov, Ricky Simon
Out of UFC rankings: Said Nurmagomedov, Chris Gutierrez
X: The winner of the unlikely O’Malley vs. Vera title fight will likely next face whoever is victorious between Dvalishvili (winner of nine in a row) vs. Cejudo (who said he could retire again with a loss) for the championship. Figueiredo proved his power would translate up a weight class in beating Font, while Bautista showed he was ready for ranked competition by taking out the always tough Simon for his sixth win in a row. Nurmagomedov is 16-0, yet hasn’t fought in a year and can’t seem to stay healthy. Sandhagen beat Vera, but still managed to get passed over by him. Sterling’s upcoming move to 145 pounds at UFC 300 will give someone else a shot to be ranked in the top 15. Note: Cruz did not fight in 2023.
Differences: All of our picks are within two spots of each other, so maybe things are just more clear-cut at 135 pounds.
FEATHERWEIGHT
|
dB rankings C: Alexander Volkanovski 1. Max Holloway 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Movsar Evloev +6 4. Arnold Allen -1 5. Yair Rodriguez -1 6. Josh Emmett 7. Brian Ortega -2 8. Calvin Kattar -1 9. Gigi Chikadze -1 10. Bryce Mitchell +3 11. Dan Ige -1 12. Edson Barboza -1 13. Sodiq Yusuf -1 14. Alex Caceres 15. Lerone Murphy |
UFC rankings C: Alexander Volkanovski 1. Max Holloway 2. Yair Rodriguez 3. Ilia Topuria +2 4. Brian Ortega -1 5. Movsar Evloev +4 6. Arnold Allen -2 7. Josh Emmett -1 8. Calvin Kattar -1 9. Giga Chikadze -1 10. Bryce Mitchell 11. Edson Barboza 12. Sodiq Yusuff 13. Dan Ige 14. Alex Caceres +1 15. Lerone Murphy -1 |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB/UFC rankings: None
X: Topuria and now Evloev have made things interesting at 145 pounds, where Volkanovski is already 3-0 over Holloway, who steps up to LW next to battle for the BMF belt against Gaethje. Emmett’s soul-stealing KO of Mitchell has him dreaming of a title shot again. Rodriguez fighting consistently is a nice change, and it’ll be interesting to see how Sterling handles the size, strength and boxing of Kattar, who didn’t fight in 2023, as well as other large featherweights.
Differences: The biggest difference I have is Ortega three spots below the UFC, but Ortega’s last two wins were in 2018 and 2020 against now retired fighters. He has been out of action for a year and a half and, despite being injured, could justifiably be ejected from the rankings due to inactivity. (Murphy was only out of the Octagon for 12 months, Esparza for 14 months and Tecia Torres for 16 months before they were removed from the pool of fighters to consider.)
LIGHTWEIGHT
|
dB rankings C: Islam Makhachev 1. Charles Oliveira 2. Justin Gaethje 3. Mateusz Gamrot +2 4. Arman Tsarukyan +3 5. Dustin Poirier -2 6. Beneil Dariush -2 7. Rafael Fiziev -1 8. Michael Chandler 9. Dan Hooker 10. Jalin Turner 11. Benoit Saint Denis +1 12. Renato Moicano -1 13. Matt Frevola 14. Drew Dober 15. Bobby Green |
UFC rankings C: Islam Makhachev 1. Charles Oliveira 2. Justin Gaethje 3. Dustin Poirier 4. Arman Tsarukyan +4 5. Michael Chandler 6. Mateusz Gamrot 7. Beneil Dariush -3 8. Rafael Fiziev -1 9. Dan Hooker 10. Jalin Turner +1 11. Rafael dos Anjos -1 12. Benoit Saint Denis * 13. Renato Moicano 14. Bobby Green -2 15. Drew Dober |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: None
Out of UFC rankings: Matt Frevola
X: Tsarukyan’s destruction of Dariush made him the No. 1 contender to many people, who must have forgotten that he lost a tight decision against Gamrot. Saint Denis’ five straight wins and blast of Frevola earned him a shot at the top five against Poirier. And who isn’t looking forward to Gaethje defending his BMF belt against Holloway? Moicano fights Dober this weekend in what should be a real banger, which is especially great since he and Chandler both didn’t fight in 2023.
Differences: I have Chandler three spots lower than the UFC, but he only has wins over Hooker and a faded Tony Ferguson. I still have Frevola ranked due to his knockout of Dober in May; how soon voters can forget after a big fight.
WELTERWEIGHT
|
dB rankings C: Leon Edwards 1. Belal Muhammad 2. Shavkat Rakmonov +3 3. Kamaru Usman -1 4. Sean Brady +6 5. Gilbert Burns -1 6. Colby Covington -3 7. Stephen Thompson -1 8. Geoff Neal -1 9. Vicente Luque -1 10. Ian Garry -1 11. Jack Della Maddalena 12. Kevin Holland 13. Neil Magny +1 14. Michael Morales * 15. Rinat Fakhretdinov -2 |
UFC rankings C: Leon Edwards 1. Kamaru Usman 2. Belal Muhammad 3. Shavkat Rakmonov +2 4. Gilbert Burns 5. Colby Covington -2 6. Stephen Thompson 7. Sean Brady +1 8. Geoff Neal -1 9. Vicente Luque 10. Ian Garry 11. Jack Della Maddalena 12. Neil Magny +1 13. Kevin Holland -1 14. Michael Chiesa 15. Rinat Fakhretdinov |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: Randy Brown
Out of UFC rankings: None
X: Rakmonov and Brady made strong recent moves to the top, while Brown could earn himself a spot in the top 15 if he beats the “Master of Kung Fu” on Saturday. Without question, Muhammad deserves the next shot at Edwards; their first fight ended in an eye-poke no contest, so there’s a score to settle. And Holland vs. Michael Page is all kinds of good.
Differences: Morales is 16-0 and coming off a win over the tough Jake Matthews, making him more deserving of being ranked than Chiesa, loser of three straight. I have Brady higher at No. 4 based on his beatdown of Kelvin Gastelum.
|
dB rankings C: Dricus Du Plessis +2 1. Sean Strickland -1 2. Israel Adesanya -1 3. Robert Whittaker 4. Jared Cannonier +1 5. Marvin Vettori +1 6. Brendan Allen +8 7. Roman Dolidze 8. Khamzat Chimaev -4 9. Paulo Costa -1 10. Jack Hermansson -1 11. Nassourdine Imavov +1 12. Chris Curtis +1 13. Paul Craig -3 14. Caio Borralho +1 15. Anthony Hernandez * |
UFC rankings C: Dricus Du Plessis +2 1. Sean Strickland -1 2. Israel Adesanya -1 3. Robert Whittaker 4. Jared Cannonier 5. Marvin Vettori 6. Paulo Costa 7. Roman Dolidze 8. Brendan Allen +2 9. Khamzat Chimaev 10. Jack Hermansson -2 11. Nassourdine Imavov +1 12. Paul Craig +1 13. Chris Curtis +1 14. Anthony Hernandez +1 15. Caio Borralho * |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB/UFC rankings: Kelvin Gastelum (moved to WW)
X: As the MW belt turns: The UFC has had four straight title contests in a row at 185 pounds end with the belt changing hands. His perceived flaws have helped Strickland become a folk star of sorts, but Du Plessis will likely end up facing a returning Adesanya next. Chimaev’s health scares and visa issues are holding him back from climbing to the top.
Differences: Not much; I have Allen two spots ahead of the UFC and Costa three spots down, but for good reason. Allen has reeled off six wins in a row, while Costa is only 1-2 since 2020 and didn’t fight at all in 2023 after a weight-missing win over a declined Luke Rockhold in 2022. No one’s spot in the rankings should be considered secure when they’re inactive. Hermansson also hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon for more than a year and needs a win soon to stay relevant.
|
dB rankings C: Alex Pereira +2 1. Jamahal Hill -1 2. Jiri Prochazka -1 3. Magomed Ankalaev 4. Jan Blachowicz 5. Aleksandar Rakic 6. Nikita Krylov 7. Johnny Walker 8. Khalil Rountree Jr. +4 9. Volkan Oezdemir 10. Anthony Smith -2 11. Ryan Spann -1 12. Azamat Murakanov -1 13. Alonzo Menifield +1 14. Vitor Petrino * 15. Dustin Jacoby -2 |
UFC rankings C: Alex Pereira +3 1. Jamahal Hill -1 2. Jiri Prochazka -1 3. Magomed Ankalaev -1 4. Jan Blachowicz 5. Aleksandar Rakic 6. Nikita Krylov 7. Johnny Walker 8. Khalil Rountree Jr. +3 9. Volkan Oezdemir 10. Anthony Smith -2 11. Ryan Spann -1 12. Alonzo Menifield +2 13. Azamat Murakanov -1 14. Dominick Reyes -1 15. Dustin Jacoby |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: Kennedy Nzechukwu
Out of dB rankings: None
X: Kickboxer Pereira becoming a two-division champ despite his relative inexperience is one of the best UFC stories in recent years. Ankalaev demonstrated against Walker that his standup might just be as good as his vaunted ground game. Rountree Jr. has rounded into his best form, as his striking is so dynamite that it almost hurts just to watch shots land.
Differences: Reyes has lost four in a row, did not look particularly good in any of the losses and is out of another bout due to injury. Both Rakic and Reyes didn’t fight in 2023, but Petrino did, and his 10-0 record is deserving of a top-15 spot.
|
dB rankings C: Jon Jones IC: Tom Aspinall +4 2. Sergei Pavlovich -1 3. Curtis Blaydes -1 4. Ciryl Gane -1 5. Alexander Volkov +1 6. Jailton Almeida +1 7. Stipe Miocic -1 8. Serghei Spivac 9. Marcin Tybura 10. Tai Tuivasa 11. Derrick Lewis 12. Jairzinho Rozenstruik 13. Alexandr Romanov 14. Shamil Gaziev * 15. Marcos Rogerio de Lima |
UFC rankings C: Jon Jones IC: Tom Aspinall +4 2. Ciryl Gane 3. Sergei Pavlovich -2 4. Stipe Miocic -1 5. Curtis Blaydes 6. Alexander Volkov 7. Jailton Almeida +2 8. Serghei Spivac -1 9. Tai Tuivasa -1 10. Derrick Lewis 10. Marcin Tybura +1 12. Jairzinho Rozenstruik 13. Alexandr Romanov 14. Rodrigo Nascimento * 15. Marcos Rogerio de Lima -1 |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB/UFC rankings: Martin Buday
X: In a few short weeks, Aspinall went from not having a fight set up to stepping up on short notice to blast Pavlovich and win the interim HW title. I do think a bout between him and Jones would be far more compelling and competitive than a Jones-Miocic legends fight, but rest assured the latter is going to happen first. Aspinall vs. the winner of the upcoming Blaydes vs. Almeida bout could be epic if the UFC wants to keep Aspinall active while Jones recovers from injuries.
Differences: I don’t have a problem with Nascimento being ranked over Gaziev, who just had an impressive UFC debut. Miocic hasn’t fought in more than two years, but he’s still among the fighters under consideration after every event. I would have removed Miocic myself due to inactivity, but other heavyweights haven’t given me enough reason to do so.
|
dB rankings 1. Zhang Weili (C) 2. Alexa Grasso (C) 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Manon Fiorot 5. Erin Blanchfield 6. Raquel Pennington +5 7. Yan Xiaonan -1 8. Tatiana Suarez -1 9. Rose Namajunas -1 10. Jessica Andrade -1 11. Mayra Bueno Silva 12. Julianna Pena 13. Amanda Lemos 14. Holly Holm * 15. Irene Aldana * 15. Vacant |
UFC rankings 1. Alexa Grasso (C) 2. Zhang Weili (C) 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Erin Blanchfield +1 5. Julianna Pena -1 6. Manon Fiorot 7. Raquel Pennington +6 8. Rose Namajunas 9. Tatiana Suarez +1 10. Yan Xiaonan -1 11. Jessica Andrade +1 12. Amanda Lemos +2 13. Ketlen Vieira * 14. Irene Aldana * 15. Mayra Bueno Silva 15. Mayra Bueno Silva -1 |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB/UFC rankings: Taila Santos (free agent), Carla Esparza (inactivity)
X: Feels weird not having the two longtime stalwarts mentioned above in the rankings, but Esparza is taking it slow following her pregnancy, which makes sense since fighters like Dern returned to the Octagon too quickly after giving birth.
Differences: The only big one is the UFC has Pena ranked at No. 5, while I have her at No. 12, because Pena is only 2-2 since 2020 and didn’t fight at all in 2023. I have Holm ranked over Aldana for the simple reason that she beat her.
|
dB rankings C: Zhang Weili 1. Yan Xiaonan 2. Tatiana Suarez 3. Jessica Andrade 4. Amanda Lemos 5. Marina Rodriguez 6. Amanda Ribas * 7. Virna Jandiroba +1 8. Mackenzie Dern -1 9. Luana Pinheiro 10. Angela Hill +1 11. Loopy Godinez +1 12. Tabatha Ricci -2 13. Karolina Kowalkiewicz 14. Michelle Waterson-Gomez +1 15. Loma Lookboonmee -1 |
UFC rankings C: Zhang Weili 1. Yan Xiaonan +1 2. Tatiana Suarez +1 3. Amanda Lemos +1 4. Jessica Andrade +1 5. Virna Jandiroba +1 6. Marina Rodriguez +2 7. Mackenzie Dern 8. Amanda Ribas +3 9. Luana Pinheiro 10. Loopy Godinez +3 11. Tabatha Ricci -1 12. Angela Hill 13. Karolina Kowalkiewicz +1 14. Michelle Waterson-Gomez +1 15. Gillian Robertson * |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB/UFC rankings: Carla Esparza (inactivity)
X: Not much movement this time, though several upcoming scraps should make the division more interesting. The all-Chinese championship fight between Weili and Xiaonan should be a war, along with Andrade vs. Rodriguez, at UFC 300.
Differences: No issues ranking submission specialist Robertson over Lookboonmee, who really needs to be in the cage more than once a year in order to improve her all-around MMA game. I added Ribas back to the SW rankings since she appears content going back and forth between 115 and 125 pounds moving forward, as she next faces Namajunas.
|
dB rankings C: Alexa Grasso 1. Valentina Shevchenko 2. Manon Fiorot 3. Erin Blanchfield 4. Rose Namajunas +1 5. Katlyn Cerminara +1 6. Maycee Barber +1 7. Tracy Cortez +2 8. Amanda Ribas 9. Viviane Araujo +2 10. Natalia Silva +2 11. Karine Silva +3 12. Jasmine Jasudavicius * 13. Joanne Wood * 14. Ariane Lipski * 15. Casey O’Neill -2 |
UFC rankings C: Alexa Grasso 1. Valentina Shevchenko 2. Erin Blanchfield 3. Manon Fiorot 4. Katlyn Cerminara +1 5. Jessica Andrade +1 6. Maycee Barber +2 7. Viviane Araujo +2 8. Amanda Ribas +2 9. Natalia Silva +3 10. Tracy Cortez +1 11. Ariane Lipski * 12. Karine Silva +2 13. Casey O’Neill 14. Andrea Lee +1 15. Jasmine Jasudavicius * |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB rankings: Talia Santos (free agent), Andrea Lee, Lauren Murphy (inactivity)
Out of UFC rankings: Talia Santos (free agent), Lauren Murphy (inactivity)
X: FLW continues to be the UFC’s most compelling women’s division; the winner of the upcoming fight between Blanchfield and Fiorot could be the future of 125 pounds. Grasso-Shevchenko 3 seems inevitable, though I wish the UFC wasn’t booking so many instant rematches; let rivalries simmer for a few years so when they do fight again, they both bring different experiences and new skills into the fight. N. Silva will be moving on up if she beats Araujo come Saturday.
Differences: I have Wood over Lee, but they’re both 1-3 since 2021 so you could just flip a coin. Keep an eye on the up and coming, and undefeated, Dakota Ditcheva. Note: Katlyn Chookagian is now Cerminara; she didn’t fight in 2023.
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT
|
dB rankings C: Raquel Pennington +1 1. Mayra Bueno Silva 2. Julianna Pena 3. Ketlen Vieira 4. Holly Holm 5. Irene Aldana 6. Karol Rosa +1 7. Pannie Kianzad -1 8. Yana Santos 9. Macy Chiasson 10. Miesha Tate 11. Julia Avila -1 12. Josiane Nunes -1 13. Tainara Lisboa -1 14. Melissa Dixon -1 15. Chelsea Chandler * |
UFC rankings C. Raquel Pennington +2 1. Julianna Pena 2. Mayra Bueno Silva +1 3. Ketlen Vieira +1 4. Irene Aldana +2 5. Holly Holm 6. Pannie Kianzad +1 7. Yana Santos +1 8. Miesha Tate +4 9. Karol Rosa 10. Macy Chiasson -1 11. Norma Dumont 12. Julia Avila +1 13. Josiane Nunes +1 14. Chelsea Chandler +1 15. Melissa Dixon * |
* New entrant into rankings
Out of dB/UFC rankings: Montserrant Rendon
Out of UFC rankings: None
X: As happy as I am to see Pennington win a championship after grinding it out with ups and downs since the first female edition of The Ultimate Fighter, I have to admit that her fights aren’t a whole lot of fun to watch. Then again, I used to say the same about Pena, her likely next opponent; as well as Tate, but her last fight showed a level of aggression and finishing instincts not seen in many moons. If Dumont can successfully make 135 pounds – along with new signee Kayla Harrison, a gold medal-winning Olympian in judo who had a successful run in the PFL – the division has some new life. In addition, one-time FW champion Germaine de Randamie, who submitted Pena, is returning after becoming a mother.
Differences: I have Lisboa ranked due to her impressive five-fight winning streak, but the undefeated Dixon is right there. Potential future title challenger Chiasson remained in the top 10 despite not making a trip inside the Octagon in 2023.
UPCOMING FIGHTS TO WATCH
Feb. 3 – UFC Fight Night 235
Roman Dolidze (12-2) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (12-4)
Renato Moicano (17-4-1) vs. Drew Dober (18-5)
Viviane Araujo (12-5) vs. Natalie Silva (16-5-1)
Feb. 10 – UFC Fight Night 236
Jack Hermansson (23-8) vs. Joe Pyfer (12-2)
Dane Ige (17-7) vs. Andre Fili (23-10)
Feb. 17 – UFC 298
Champ Alexander Volkanovski (26-3) vs. Ilia Topuria (14-0) for FW title
Merab Dvalishvili (16-4) vs. Henry Cejudo (16-3)
Robert Whittaker (24-7) vs. Paulo Costa (14-2)
Geoff Neal (15–5) vs. Ian Garry (13-0)
Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) vs. Mackenzie Dern (13-4)
Feb. 24 – UFC Fight Night Mexico
Brandon Moreno (21-7-2) vs. Brandon Royval (15-7)
Yair Rodriguez (15-4) vs. Brian Ortega (15-3)
March 2 – UFC Fight Night 237
Alex Perez (10-1) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (10-0)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (13-4) vs. Shamil Gaziev (12-0)
March 9 – UFC 299
Champ Sean O’Malley (17-1) vs. Marlon Vera (23-8-1) for BW title
Dustin Poirier (29-8) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (13-1)
Curtis Blaydes (17-4) vs. Jailton Almeida (20-2)
Gilbert Burns (22-6) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (16-2)
Kevin Holland (25-10) vs. Michael Page (25-7)
Petr Yan (16-3) vs. Song Yadong (21-7-1)
Mateusz Gamrot (23-2) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (32-15)
Katlyn Cerminara (18-5) vs. Maycee Barber (13-2)
March 16 – UFC Fight Night 238
Marcin Tybura (24-8) vs. Tai Tuivasa (15-6)
Pannie Kianzad (16-7) vs. Macy Chiasson (8-3)
Josiane Nunes (8-2) vs. Chelsea Chandler (5-2)
March 23 – UFC Fight Night 239
Rose Namajunas (11-6) vs. Amanda Ribas (12-4)
Montserrant Rendon (6-0) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (8-1)
March 30 – UFC Fight Night Atlantic City
Sean Brady (16-1) vs. Vicente Luque (22-9-1) CANCELED
Manon Fiorot (11-1) vs. Erin Blanchfield (12-1)
April 6 – UFC Fight Night 240
Marvin Vettori (19-6-1) vs. Brendan Allen (23-5)
Norma Dumont (10-2) vs. Germaine de Randamie (10-4)
April 13 – UFC 300
Main event TBD
Champ Zhang Weili (24-3) vs. Yan Xiaonan (17-3) for FLW title
Champ Justin Gaethje (25-4) vs. Max Holloway (33-5) for BMF title
Charles Oliveira (34-9) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (21-3)
Jiri Prochazka (29-4-1) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (14-3)
Aljamain Sterling (23-4) vs. Calvin Kattar (23-7)
Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1) vs. Cody Garbrandt (14-5)
Holly Holm (15-7) vs. Kayla Harrison (16-1)
Updated rankings will be posted at the end of April, when I will also share my top 20 fighters in each division (the UFC mentioned possibly doing that some day). Until then, enjoy the 5-ounce glove fights.
For comments, questions and suggestions, email dbrown@cherokeescout.com or hit me up on X @daviddbstroh.